Identification problems of arid environments in the Neogene–Quaternary mammal record of Spain

Palaeoenvironmental analysis of the Aragonian (middle Miocene) mammalian faunas from the Madrid Basin based on body-size structure

“…The age of the whole section ranges between 20 to 5.4 Ma, with three different lithostratigraphic units from the Madrid Basin defined (Alberdi, 1985;Calvo, 1989;Calvo et al, 1993): the Lower Unit (Ramblian to middle Aragonian), the Middle Unit (middle Aragonian to Vallesian) and the Upper Unit (Vallesian to Turolian). Several similar changes between humid and arid conditions have been also detected in this region for this short time in previous studies about the modifications in mammal body size community structure (Hernández Fernández et al, 2006a), the dietary evolution of herbivores (Domingo et al, 2009(Domingo et al, , 2012 or by changes in the mineral composition of the sediments present in the Somosaguas fossil site (Carrasco et al, 2008).…”

“…The body size data for modern species were obtained from Smith et al (2003). For the few species with no body size information, the mean of the genera was calculated (Rodrígu-ez, 1999;Croft, 2001;Hernández Fernández et al, 2006a). Here we use the concept prey mammals as any terrestrial species, excluding the Australian ones, not belonging to the order Carnivora (Orders Didelphimorphia, Paucituberculata, Microbiotheria, Tubulidentata, Macroscelidea, Hyracoidea, Proboscidea, Xenarthra, Scandentia, Dermoptera, Primates, Rodentia, Lagomorpha, Insectivora, Pholidota, Perissodactyla, and Artiodactyla).…”

“…These localities are: Estación Imperial; Paseo de las Acacias; Arroyo del Olivar-Puente de Vallecas; Somosaguas; Paracuellos 5 and Paracuellos 3. The faunal list of the six localities, together with the body size for fossil species were obtained from Peláez-Campomanes et al (2003), Hernández Fernández et al (2006b, Perales et al (2009) In body size spectra, every prey mammal from a particular community is assigned to one of the body size categories defined in table 1 (Andrews et al, 1979;Hernández Fernández et al, 2006a). Once each species of the prey community was classified in one of the body size categories and the final sum for each category converted to a percentage, the body size spectrum of the community was obtained.…”

“…During the last decades, the palaeoclimate from different periods and regions has been established based on the body size community structure of mammal fossils (Legendre, 1986(Legendre, , 1989Montuire, 1999;Rodríguez, 1999;Croft, 2001;Storer, 2003;Hernández Fernández et al, 2006a;Palombo and Giovinazzo, 2006;Tougard and Montuire, 2006;Costeur et al, 2007;.…”

“…The well-studied mammalian groups from the Iberian Peninsula (Meulen and Daams, 1992;Fraile et al, 2000;Hernández Fernández et al, 2003, 2006aDomingo et al, 2009Domingo et al, , 2012, among the richest of the Neogene (Daams et al, 1977;Alba et al, 2001), represent a good opportunity to analyse ecomorphological aspects of fossil assemblages and their relationship to the climatic change that took place ~ 14 Ma ago. Particularly, the evolution of the body size community structure of the middle Miocene prey fauna from the Madrid Basin allows us to explore the connection between ecological community dynamics and macroenvironmental changes.…”